Roland J. Christiansen, Sept. 4, 1922 - July 15, 2017
Roland Christiansen, 94, died at Highland Manor in Fallon, Nevada on July 15, 2017.
Roland was born in Anaconda, Montana on Sept. 4, 1922. He grew up helping on his family’s ranch and loved being able to hunt and fish. In 1940, he graduated from Anaconda High School. He worked for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company for awhile, but then enlisted in the Marine Corps and left for boot camp in December, 1941. He was deployed to Pearl Harbor in January, 1942. From there his unit was sent to various islands in the South Pacific, including Midway and the Marshall Islands.
In 1943, Roland was sent to the University of Washington as part of an officer training school. Later he transferred to U.C. Berkeley. While at Berkeley, Roland was discharged, met and married Ilene Zimmerman, had a daughter, Sharon, all before he graduated in 1948. Soon after, their son Craig was born.
Roland and Ilene moved many times during their marriage as he changed jobs. One of his favorite jobs was manager of the Tri County Fair in Bishop, Calif., where they lived almost 14 years. He was one of the founding members of the Mule Days Committee. Their final move was to Fallon, Nev., in 1979. During his 38 years in Fallon, he enjoyed team roping, became a well-known silversmith, and loved spending time with and helping his many friends.
Roland was preceded in death by his wife Ilene in 2010. He is survived and will be missed by his children: Sharon Talbot and her husband Bill; and Craig Christiansen and wife Sherry; and by his grandchildren, Chris and Lianne, Tori and Jon, Mikal, and Cassie and Domingo, and his great grandson, Grayson.
Per Roland’s request, there were no services.